chapter

American  

[chap-ter] / ˈtʃæp tər /

noun

• chapters
  plural

1. a main division of a book, treatise, or the like, usually bearing a number or title.

2. a branch, usually restricted to a given locality, of a society, organization, fraternity, etc..

   the Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross.

3. an important portion or division of anything.

   The atomic bomb opened a new chapter in history.

   Synonyms:

   phase, period, episode, era

4. Ecclesiastical.

   1. an assembly of the monks in a monastery, of those in a province, or of the entire order.

   2. a general assembly of the canons of a church.

   3. a meeting of the elected representatives of the provinces or houses of a religious community.

   4. the body of such canons or representatives collectively.

5. any general assembly.

6. Liturgy. a short scriptural quotation read at various parts of the office, as after the last psalm in the service of lauds, prime, tierce, etc.

7. Horology. any of the marks or numerals designating the hours on a dial.

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into or arrange in chapters.

chapter British  

/ ˈtʃæptə /

noun

1. a division of a written work, esp a narrative, usually titled or numbered

2. a sequence of events having a common attribute

   a chapter of disasters

3. 1. a series of misfortunes

   2. the unforeseeable course of events

4. an episode or period in a life, history, etc

5. a numbered reference to that part of a Parliamentary session which relates to a specified Act of Parliament

6. a branch of some societies, clubs, etc, esp of a secret society

7. the collective body or a meeting of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church or of the members of a monastic or knightly order

8. a general assembly of some organization

9. exact authority for an action or statement

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verb

1. (tr) to divide into chapters

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unchapter
  verb (used with object)
• chapteral
  adjective
• unchaptered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chapters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of chapter

1175–1225; Middle English chapiter, variant of chapitre < Old French < Latin capitulum little head ( capit-, stem of caput head + -ulum -ule ); in Late Latin: section of a book; in Medieval Latin: section read at a meeting, hence, the meeting, especially one of canons, hence, a body of canons

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Explanation

A chapter is a section of a book. Some long novels might be divided into twenty or thirty chapters. The noun chapter is good for talking about a subset or small section of some larger thing. Book chapters are one example, and so is a chapter in a person's life or a chapter of an organization or club. When you mention the "mopey teenage chapter" of your life, you mean one small portion of the years you've lived. And the Montana chapter of a national fan club is made up of only members who live in one state.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chapter chapters

"I am committed to honouring this legacy and look forward to creating the next chapter in this rich and beautiful story," she said in the statement.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

"This is a defining moment in AerFin's story and the beginning of an exciting new chapter," said Goodson.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Jordyn Woods hopes children are in her future with husband Karl-Anthony Towns, but the newlywed is taking her time before starting that chapter.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The new trash cans aim to address one of three demands from the Koreatown chapter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, which launched its Barrio Limpio campaign in September.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

That matter of Herbert’s was still progressing, and everything with me was as I have brought it down to the close of the last preceding chapter.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

The joke did not go down well in China, where Mao is revered by the Communist Party, despite his having overseen one of the bloodiest chapters in the country's past.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Proposition 38 is backed by organizations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the ALS Assn., as well as a majority of local chapters of Democratic organizations across the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

By placing these predictions alongside observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the Nancy Roman Space Telescope, and other instruments, scientists hope to build a more complete picture of the universe's earliest chapters.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026

Within a year of his death, high school chapters jumped 180 percent and college chapters increased 60 percent — resulting in more than 1,500 college chapters as of September 2026, according to the organization.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

Hitherto I have recorded in detail the events of my insignificant existence: to the first ten years of my life I have given almost as many chapters.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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Related Words

• affiliate
• branch
• division
• episode
• member
• phase
• stage
• unit

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